Star Wars image courtesy Heritage Auction Galleries

Science fiction/fantasy theater lobby cards represent some of the finest collectibles in the movie memorabilia field. Artistic, colorful and chock full of Hollywood history, sci-fi/fantasy lobby cards can range in value from $5 to several thousand dollars.

Lobby Card History

Lobby cards – so named because they were displayed in movie theater lobbies to promote a film – have been around since the earliest days of the silent cinema. Measuring 11×14-inches and generally printed on heavier paper stock than posters, lobby cards feature individual scenes from movies.

Lobby Card Terminology

Basic lobby card terminology is as follows: 

• Title Lobby Card. As the name implies, this card features the title and top stars of a movie. It is often viewed by collectors as the premier card of the set.
• Lobby Card Set. Lobby cards were issued to movie theaters in sets of four, eight or ten cards, with eight being the standard Hollywood studio issue.
• Jumbo Lobby Card. Measuring an oversize 11×17-inches, jumbo lobby cards are special issues and were made for selected releases only.
• Reissue Lobby Card. These cards were reissued in connection with a movie’s re-release and can sometimes differ in design from the originals.
• Reproduction Lobby Card. Also called decorative lobby cards, these issues were made from the originals and have no collector value.

Top Science Fiction & Fantasy Movie Lobby Card Values

An entire galaxy of science fiction/fantasy movie lobby cards are available today. And although individual tastes vary, the following represent a good selection of desirable titles along with representative values from the 1920s to the 1980s.

Metropolis (Paramount, 1927)

 Director Fritz Lang’s beautiful, futuristic silent film is pure nirvana for movie fans and collectors. This title is strictly for the deep pockets crowd, with original material bringing stratospheric prices. An original lobby card picturing Brigitte Helm at the Yoshiwara Nightclub fetched $4,481.25 at auction.

The Bride of Frankenstein (Universal, 1935)

Elsa Lancaster is the reluctant bride, Boris Karloff the smitten groom and Colin Clive the matchmaker/scientist in this science fiction-horror movie classic. Values for Bride lobby cards can be “scary,” with one example picturing Karloff, Clive and Ernest Thesiger selling for $4,780.

The Invisible Man Returns (Universal, 1940)

The sequel to 1933’s The Invisible Man, this popular film stars Vincent Price and Cedric Hardwicke. A 1948 Realart reissue lobby card featuring Price, Hardwicke and Nan Grey sold for $203.15 at auction.

Them! (Warner Bros., 1954)

James Whitmore and James Arness hunt down giant ants in this sci-fi thriller from the Red Scare era. A complete set of eight lobby cards sold for $537.75 at auction.

20 Million Miles to Earth (Columbia, 1957)

William Hopper and Joan Taylor star in this wild tale of a Venusian creature who hitches a ride back to Earth. Seven different lobby cards brought a reasonable $77.68 at auction.

2001: A Space Odyssey (MGM, 1968)

Stanley Kubrick’s monumental tribute to space exploration is always a collector favorite. A set of eight 1972 reissue lobby cards brought $71.70 at auction.

Star Wars (20th Century-Fox, 1977)

George Lucas launched the blockbuster franchise with this classic science fiction film starring Harrison Ford as Han Solo. A set of eight lobby cards sold for $131.45 at auction.

The Terminator (Orion, 1984)

The Governator – Arnold Schwarzenegger – stars as a cyborg hit man on the prowl in 2029. A complete set of eight lobby cards hit a top bid of $203.15 at auction.

Sources

• Heritage Auction Galleries
• Learn About Movie Posters, by Ed & Susan Poole (iGuide Media, Inc., 2003)
• Movie Collector’s World